Bloodlines & Dumb Apples
by 694377
Summary: Genesis Rhapsodos went missing during a mission in Wutai, soon after he found out about his origins with Jenova Project G. Feeling betrayed, deceived, and lied to by his 'parents', he arrives at the village of Banora to extract revenge on the village...


The small village of Banora, a very calm and peaceful place to live. It was almost as if it had been encased within a protective orb of tranquility throughout the many years since man had learned to walk. As the day was nearing noon, the farmers made their way back to their homes to rest for a few minutes before going back out again to pick 'Dumb Apples' until the skies turned dark. It was the typical life of one who would live there. The soil was the most richest you could find around the entire world and would grow anything, no matter what the weather conditions were like, no matter what poison would be used on it. You could never taint Banora's soil. Though the village itself could not be tainted, those who lived there could easily be corrupted - just as all people are. However the one person who hailed from Banora, the one who absorbed the corruption, the honorless angel, would return to his homeland once more.

Rhapsodos' black boots touched the ground of the soil where the Banora Whites would grow, in the Apple Orchard. His crimson overcoat caught the sun's rays as it passed through the tiny holes in the gaps of the tree's branches and apples. Flicking his hair towards the side, he gazed across the orchard. It had been a very long time since Genesis had seen his hometown and everyone who lived in it, and even his parents. But instead of the look of happiness upon his face, a sinister, yet merciful, look grew. He had written to his mother and father every two weeks since he joined SOLDIER, but only stopped recently which made them worry about their beloved son. Since an incident with the hero of the Wutai War, Sephiroth, and his childhood friend, Angeal, Shinra themselves noticed a change to Genesis. This would lead them to speculate that it lead to his desertion after a mission in Wutai. Seeing his hometown after all this time gave Genesis memories that made his feel warm inside, but at the same time cold. To look at Genesis, you would believe that he would be searching for something that even he didn't know what it was.

Still, young Rhapsodos took his first few steps under a set of Banora White apple trees after watching the last of the farmers leave the area. Quickly noticing a loose apple dangling down in front of him, the crimson-cloaked ex-SOLDIER raised up his gloved hand and snatched it from the oddly shaped tree and held it up towards the radiant sun making its way over the large house in the distance. The shine of the apple allowed him to give reason that it was healthy enough to eat, and so took a small bite from the blue surface to the tasteful interior. Nothing was better for Genesis than eating a fresh Dumb Apple straight from the tree itself - as the flavour was more pure and held more goodness than the apples sold around the world with added chemicals in the factory further onward throughout the village. The taste of a pure Banora White gave Genesis' tongue the feeling it had longed for throughout the years he had served Shinra. Though only one bite was taken from the apple, Genesis tossed it over his right shoulder into an empty basket near the trunk of a tree, as he didn't want to get side-tracked from his goal. With hardly a cloud in sight within the blue sky, the crimson-cloaked ex-SOLDIER slowly but surely made his way through the archways made by the Banora White Apple trees towards a set of large iron gates which had been foolishly left open - not that it would matter to him.

A gentle breeze begun to pick up, as it blew on Rhapsodos' face. His medium-length brown hair was slightly lifted by the breeze, now turning into a squall, which died down after a short while. As his figure passed through the gates, a very large apple tree came into view. It had been a very long time since he was able to come back home and eat one of his own Banora Whites, since they tasted the best. It was lucky the Genesis' parents were wealthy land owners, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to follow the path his life had made for him. Just viewing the tree from a distance gave the cloaked man the drive he needed to continue into the village itself, to see the look on the villagers' faces that one of their own people had become a SOLDIER 1st Class, and a house-hold name. There could be the chance that since Banora is one of the more backwater towns in the world, they may not have the contacts to know such things. Following the single pathway which lead to the village, Rhapsodos' house came into view as the road dropped down to give a clear view of the horizon. There were children in the centre of the village playing together. Since they were only children, their excited voices easily flowed into Genesis' ears as he drew closer towards the village.

**_"Hey, let's play SOLDIER! Here's how the game goes: there are 2 teams, one who are SOLDIER, and the other who are the Wutai."_**

**_"Wow! Yeah, let's play! But, uhh... how are we going to decide who's SOLDIER and Wutai?"_**

**_"We flip a coin of course!"_**

As the six children flipped a coin each, the crimson-cloaked Rhapsodos watched them like a hawk after it's prey. It was almost as if he was glaring, but not deliberately. A memory came back to him. It was back when he was a child when he, Angeal, and the others played the exact same thing. Looking back on it now, Genesis could see how different the world of a child is to that of a SOLDIER.

**_"... Yay! I'm SOLDIER!"_**

The last of the children had flipped the coin and became SOLDIER. They all looked so innocent as the prepared to play. Just as Genesis passed his house and leaned up against the very large Banora White apple tree which belonged to him and his parent, he decided to see how they played their little game of SOLDIER. A great shadow was cast over Genesis on this rather heated day.

**_"I'm being Sephiroth!"_**

**_"Fine! Genesis is way better than that over-rated 1st Class!"_**

**_"No way! Angeal is far more awesome than those guys put together!"_**

As usual, Sephiroth always came first over him or Angeal. It didn't upset Genesis or anything, except remind him how the greatest 1st Class was partly the influence which made him join SOLDIER in the first place. A very peaceful smile came across his face as he remembered the good time with his 2 friends. It was a shame that he had to abandon them in order to search for a meaning to live, the SOLDIER honor Angeal had preached on and on about. At first it was nothing more than an annoyance, but the more he thought about it at this current moment in time, the more it made sense. It was as if he was missing a piece of himself, ever since he discovered the dreaded truth. The lies and deceit of the ones who he solely trusted throughout his entire life became one of the starting points which lead to his loss of honor. A child stopped playing with the rest of them and made his way over to the very peaceful looking Genesis.

**_"Hey, mister. You're SOLDIER, aren't you?"_**

**_"... I was. What of it?"_**

**_"What class?"_**

**_"1st."_**

**_"... Whoa!"_**

The child stared in disbelief at Genesis. As he opened up his eyes to see the youth, the sight of him staring at him like a divine figure, with his mouth open and eyes as wide as can be, gave his heart and soul warmth. The boy ran back to his friends and brought them over towards the lonely Ex-SOLDIER.

**_"... This guy used to be in SOLDIER!"_**

Just as the young boy had done once before, all of the others did too. It was their first time in meeting a SOLDIER, a 1st Class too. This was truly an experience to be treasured for the rest of their lives.

**_"Hey mister... umm... did you know Sephiroth?"_**

Before Rhapsodos was able to answer, the others begun asking questions.

**_"- and Genesis?!"_**

**_"- what about Angeal?!"_**

They waited in suspense as he raised up his hand to snatch one of his own Banora Whites, and then taking a bite from it. So many memories flooded back to him, and the more he enjoyed the apple, the more he hated it for the memories. Finishing his mouth, he begun.

**_"... Yeah, I knew Sephiroth. Genesis and Angeal, too."_**

As the children got themselves even more excited over his comment, a door slammed behind Genesis. It came from the Rhapsodos house.

**_"Hey! You there, in your fancy red overcoat! Who the hell do you think you are, stealing our apples, huh?! These are ours, go pick your own! Go on, get lost!"_**

Upon hearing the roar of an elderly male voice, the group of children quickly got out of site and back to their game. Even though the male voice had told Genesis to leave, the ex-SOLDIER stood his ground and spitefully took another bite from the Dumb Apple he was previously holding. As soon as he did so, the sound of footsteps hatefully came towards him. Tilting his head towards the elderly gentleman, he didn't even bare a smile at the site of him. The male wore brown overalls with white clothing underneath, and had medium-length grey hair, and was cleanly shaven. The bulking figure stood in front of Genesis as he place his hands on his hips. The arms of Mr. Rhapsodos were huge, and could probably scare even the most powerful of fiends away, but not Genesis. The stern look on his face caught Genesis' eye as he glared right back into his.

**_"I'm not going to tell you this again. Go now, and maybe I'll let trespassing on private property slide."_**

**_"Hmph... it shows just how much you really cared..."_**

**_"... What the hell are you talking about?"_**

Genesis moved from his current position to fully face Mr. Rhapsodos, matching him in height as he stood straight.

**_"...You don't even recognise the one who you took care of, the one who you treated as a son?"_**

The moment the word 'son' was used, Mr. Rhapsodos stared in disbelief. After all this time, his son had finally come home.

**_"... Genesis...? Is that really you, m'boy...? It is, I can see it now! Come here, Genesis!"_**

Just as his father moved in to give him a hug after 10 years or so apart from each other, the son extended his arm to push him away. A great amount of confusion was mounted upon Mr. Rhapsodos' face, as the son whom he cared for seemingly rejected him. Still, he thought nothing of it and called back to the house.

**_"Dear! Our dear boy has returned to us, after all these years! Come!"_**

A soon as he called to his wife, Mrs. Rhapsodos could be heard calling back to him. Even though you could here how excited she was, her words weren't so easy to hear. The figure of a woman appeared as she stood in the doorway looking at her husband and the crimson-cloaked male that is Genesis. Although she was rather elderly, her face didn't show her actual age at all, and she wore a white apron with green clothing and brown sandals. Time had been good for her. Unlike her husband, Mrs. Rhapsodos could instantly see that it was their son, and opened up her arms for Genesis to greet her. The same reaction went for his mother also, and they could see that something was not quite right. As she made her way over towards him, Mr. Rhapsodos begun to speak.

**_"It's been a very long time, Genesis. We've been receiving your mail - we're so proud of you, my s-"_**

**_"- I'm no son of yours."_**

**_"... What?"_**

**_"You heard me the first time... I'm not your son, or yours."_**

The Rhapsodos family could see the seriousness on his face, and were now able to believe that he now knew about his history. Mrs. Rhapsodos spoke as she stood beside her husband.

**_"... So you know then. You must understand, we treated you like a-"_**

**_"Enough. There's no need to tell me your lies. You two betrayed me ever since the beginning. That is why I've returned here..."_**

**_"To tell us that you know? You must understand, Genesis, we-"_**

**_"... No, it is you who must understand!"_**

In rage, he produced a ball of fire in the palm of his hand and threw it at his 'father', knocking him down to the ground. The injured man didn't want to fight the one who he treated like a son for all these years. Even though he wasn't his biological son, he still treated him like his own - the same applied for Mrs. Rhapsodos. His 'father' was too weak now to speak, and so it was just between Mrs. Rhapsodos and Genesis himself.

**_"... Please, Genesis. Listen to me! We didn't plan on you finding out about this, but we cared for you like our own. We were unable to have children of our own, and so we adopted you. Please... understand that we loved you with all our hearts."_**

**_"... Liar."_**

**_"Genesis!"_**

**_"... For this, the price to be paid... will be your life."_**

Young Genesis Rhapsodos slowly brought up his left hand and click his fingers. Almost instantly, a mass of armored people and machines came through the gate, and above, firing and slashing the villagers. As seconds passed, Mr & Mrs Rhapsodos watched as the village was under fire from Genesis' cohorts. They were slashed, strangled and slaughtered. Beaten, stabbed, and crushed. Garroted and impaled. Shot and executed. No mercy was given to them. In an act of kindness, Genesis called out to the army just before they were about to invade the last house.

**_"Leave that one. A friend of mine's family lives there."_**

He turned back to his 'parents'.

**_"... Am I not merciful?"_**

The blood of all of the villagers, excluding Gillian Hewley, stained the ground of the village. The fountain in the centre of the village was what would be described as a 'blood bath' it was that thick. The bodies of the 6 children that had played SOLDIER lay shattered across the village along with the rest of the villagers, with only 1 just surviving in the corner of two houses. Just as he thought he was safe, a Genesis Copy jumped down from the roof of a house and flung one of his two blades at the child. The result was brutal, and too horrific for even Genesis to see. The most ironic thing being that the child was playing as Genesis in SOLDIER. Even though this had been, it was after all just a game, and Genesis felt no sorrow, no regret. The Genesis Copies invaded each house, dragging a half-dead body out only to let the others join in the kill. Some copies had trouble against the more elder and mature citizens of Banora, as they held firearms and skills with any weapon - but the Genesis Copies were a lot more tactical, and stormed the houses from the roof, as well as behind. This was truly one of the most brutal of any invasion or battle in history, a massacre if you will. Mr. Rhapsodos pulled himself back up onto his feet, with the help of his wife.

**_"You heartless... bastard!"_**

**_"Hmph. To be honest, think I am. I don't even know if my real parents were married, so I guess that does make me a bastard... The only thing I know about me is that I was produced by Jenova Project G..."_**

**_"Shut up! You are such a... a demon, no... you're a devil! You used to be such a good boy - I didn't bring you up to turn out like this, Genesis!"_**

**_"So what? I decide my own life, you can no long hold me back."_**

Mr. Rhapsodos ran towards Genesis and threw a punch, narrowly missing this adopted son. Mrs. Rhapsodos watched in horror as her husband and the young man who she loved and cared as her own son begun to fight.

**_"... You want to fight me, old man? So be it..."_**

At that second, his overcoat ripped at the back on his left hand side to reveal a very large black wing which burst out of his back. Taking out his Rapier, Genesis Rhapsodos pointed it at his 'father'. As he glared at Mr. Rhapsodos, his 'mother' continued to watch. With his back to Mrs. Rhapsodos, the ex-SOLDIER was unaware that she took hold of a rake. She called out to him.

**_"...Genesis!"_**

Momentarily detracting the crimson-cloaked man, Mrs. Rhapsodos threw the rake to her husband who quickly caught it and swung viciously at Genesis. Seeing that his 'father' now had a weapon, he locked up his blade with the rake. With all of their power, both of them wouldn't move an inch. It came to Genesis' attention that the rake was slowly splitting apart due to the Rapier's sharp edge meeting the wooden handle. Wanting a better fight, he used Mr. Rhapsodos' power against him, and flung him towards the house. As the elderly man recovered, he noticed that the rake had split in two pieces, and so took the other half and begun to dual-wield. Standing straight with his wing expanding more than 3 meters and holding his Rapier towards the ground, Genesis glared at his 'father', enjoying the anger emitting from him. Without a second thought, Mr. Rhapsodos ran towards his 'son' and jumped up to strike from the air. However his age would be his disadvantage, as Genesis' reactions were a lot faster. Holding up his Rapier towards Mr. Rhapsodos, the look of surprise was clearly visible on his face, quickly changing to a face of pain. The broken rake dropped down to the ground as the elderly man's feet were above the ground as Genesis held him up with his Rapier pierced through his chest and out the other side. Mrs. Rhapsodos gasped as her husband was suspended in the air by nothing by a blade, hanging there motionless. Blood slowly begun to make its way down the Rapier, bathing it in a crimson layer. Little sign of life came from him, except for very quiet breathing. This is what Genesis Rhapsodos wanted, as his face bared a sinister grin, and glared into the old man's half-open eyes'. Without a second though, Genesis flung his 'father' into the wall of the house, where the sound of a thud could be heard from the Hewley household. Instantly Mrs. Rhapsodos came to her husband's aid. Blood began to drip from his mouth every time he tried to catch a breath. As she attempted to comfort her partner, the over towering shadow of the ex-SOLDIER was cast over them.

As the skies burned bright red in the evening, Genesis Rhapsodos overlooked his hometown of Banora. This would be his place of operation. A copy was writing 'Keep Out' on a large sheet of metal in blood for the Banora Factory, his place of refuge for the next month. Standing over a newly made grave underneath the Banora White apple tree, Genesis looked down at it and grinned. This would only be the start of his plan, as retaining his SOLDIER honor seemed nigh impossible for the deeds he had committed this day. Reaching into his crimson overcoat, Genesis Rhapsodos took out a beige-colored book with the words 'Legends of the LOVELESS' written upon it. Opening up a page at random, he begun to recite it.

**_"My soul, corrupted by vengeance. Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey, in my own salvation... and your eternal slumber..."_**


End file.
